Him and Her
by Bettakappa
Summary: Most people saw a self-built facade of the junior marketing executive, but it was that rocky past that allowed her to see beyond the kimono-wearing centaur-boot clad loft mate. Cece and Schmidt reconnect over a series of photo albums that make them nostalgic for what they once shared.
1. Chapter 1

Him and Her  
Chapter 1

 **A/N: As part of this enormous hiatus in front of us, here's some AU Schmece that I've been writing. While the proposal (!) scene was actually perfect, I still wanted to share this multi-chapter fic because I just love Schmece dialogue. I take over around Christmas time of Season 4 and in this universe, Cece has an extended family (who I'll introduce in later chapters) and Schmidt was very much a part of it in their past relationship attempts. Hope yinz enjoy and be sure to review! Thanks!**

* * *

Cece was 30 years old. She had been to almost every country, partied with every random celebrity, and modeled for every fashion name out there. She was 30 years old yet she was still scared of thunderstorms and sleeping in her apartment alone.

It was Christmas Eve, so naturally all her exotic roommates were abroad in their exotic homelands. In true L.A. style, the 24th of December brought rainless thunderstorms, ringing through the masonry walls of her room. Her immediate family, originally from Oregon via India, was scheduled to convene for the holidays in San Diego where her grandmother, parents, brother and sister all lived. Since it was just a 2 hour drive, Cece opted to take a nice soothing Christmas morning drive down the coast, but right now she wanted to be anywhere but her large, empty 5 bedroom apartment.

 _Weren't the storms forecasted for all night? Why is my bedroom full of windows? Don't burglary rates go through the roof during Christmas?_ Questions raced through Cece's head, unable to put her at ease. So she paced her apartment trying to come up with a solution. As if on cue, her phone buzzed:

 _Just landed in London Town...it's so pretty! Ryan says hi! Merry Xmas love u!_

Damn Jess. Damn her and her adorable British boyfriend and her London Town that propably wasn't producing grade-A thunderstorms right now. Cece then remembered that Jess wasn't the only one away from the L.A. Christmas Eve thunder. Nick and Winston had returned to Chicago, and Coach was hanging out in Florida with his girlfriend. But most importantly there was one loft-mate who was staying in L.A. and it happened to be the man who, for better or for worse, had managed to wrangle his way into her heart forever.

Schmidt didn't have any family around, and even though he sometimes took trips back to New York, he usually opted to channel his Jewish heritage and ignore the Christmas fever that struck America. Laughing to herself remembering her ex's scrooge-esque behavior towards Christmas, Cece finally had a plan. She grabbed her keys and headed to the loft where at least she wouldn't be alone to battle the thunderstorm.

* * *

Trying her best to avoid noise at 11 pm, Cece turned the key to the loft with her honorary loft-mate key. She tip-toed inside and set her bag down on the unoccupied couch. Accent lighting draped over certain areas of the room and she saw a light beam under Schmidt's door, indicating that her ex was still awake and in his room. She thought about not even opening that can of worms and just slipping into Jess' bed to sleep and get out on the road to San Diego early in the morning. But something pulled her to Schmidt's door, knocking twice and then opening it.

"Schmidt?" she asked quietly as she slowly opened the door.

The door eventually opened enough for her to see Schmidt, propped up in bed, looking through photo albums splattered across the expensive sheets that she had spent so many nights in.

"Am I dreaming?" he immediately asked, clearly confused.

Cece sweetly smiled. He could make her laugh no matter what, it was one of the things she loved most about him. Love. There was that word. She hadn't thought about love in the longest time, but whenever she did, it only seemed to come up when Mr. Schmidt was involved. They had so much history that sometimes she had to convince herself that they had managed to build the relationship they were meant to have: platonic, honest friends who cared about each other...nothing more and nothing less. That was what they both wanted, right?

"No, you're not dreaming." she rolled her eyes playfully. "All my roommates are gone and it was really creepy over at my place, and it's time for high-crime so I hope you don't mind I was just gonna sleep in Jess' room before I head to my brother's in San Diego tomorrow for Christmas…"

"And does it have anything to do with the fact that it's thundering outside?" he coyly smiled.

Cece leaned against his door frame, biting her lip to prevent the sure-fire smile that was growing on her face, "How do you remember that?"

"Cece, please, when we were together you would literally tense up like a board whenever it thundered and you would grab onto me," he demonstrated as he chuckled by hugging himself tight, "and hold on for dear life."

"Okay so maybe they still freak me out." she laughed, getting ready to walk back into the living room and get ready for bed, "It's electricity flying through the air, I don't know how many times I have to tell you that's not okay."

"See, look, here's proof." he smiled, turning a picture towards her. Cece walked closer to his bed and saw the evidence firsthand. It was when the whole gang went camping a few years ago. Jess was obviously the photographer, and the photo showed the couple in a tent where Cece, eyes locked shut, was attached to Schmidt and held onto his torso like her life depended on it. Schmidt looked into the camera and sweetly smiled, as he comforted his girlfriend by rubbing her back.

"Oh my god." Cece burst out laughing, "I look like I'm possessed!"

"No, no." Schmidt brushed it off, still gazing affectionately at the photo and the memories it held, "I always thought it was adorable."

Cece smiled gratefully at him. The smile was a thank-you for the compliment, but also a much deeper thank-you for the months he put up with her possessed thunder fear.

"What are you looking at anyway?" Cece asked, leaning on his bed to get closer to the action, "Convenient embarrassing photos of Cece or…"

Schmidt looked at her softly with a smile, and then mustered up the courage to explain, " Every Christmas Eve I like to go through my photos and old albums you know, so its kinda like I have my family around."

Cece thought that was the sweetest thing she'd ever heard. All the years they were together...or whatever they were….she never realized how hard it must be for him, especially around the holidays, with no family on the West coast and nobody to share it with.

"See here." Schmidt smiled down at a photo, turning it to show Cece, "Here is my father, Schmidt Sr."

"Ahh, Mr. Schmidt!" Cece leaned into Schmidt to see the picture and her arm brushed up against his. It was the most juvenile form of contact, yet it was more than they had in months, so even a minute touch generated the abundant chemistry between them.

"And is that you, oh my goodness!" Cece cooed, pointing out a little Schmidt standing next to his father in New York City. He was the cutest little boy, about four years old. His hair was the same sharp black masterpiece, and it was gelled how he wore it to this day. He was cheesing a smile at the camera, wearing a tiny Yankees t-shirt. His father, around mid-thirties at the time, looked like a mature, and more serious version of the Schmidt she'd fallen in love with a few years ago.

"Dad was all business, and I was a ham in my younger days, I guess." Schmidt laughed fondly.

"You're still a ham." Cece leaned into him playfully and then looked up under her eyelashes. Schmidt caught her glance for a minute and their eyes managed to fall into rhythm with each other until Schmidt shook himself out of it.

"Hey, I know you gotta leave early tomorrow morning, I'm sorry I'm boring you with all these stupid pictures, you can go to slee-"

"Schmidt." Cece grabbed his arm in gratitude, "You've put up with my family more times than I can count. I want to get to know your family."

Schmidt seemed shocked by her admission, and he bowed his head humbly, "Really?"

Cece paced over to the other side of his bed and hopped on, "Really."

So Schmidt fondly went through his family photos, explaining every last detail to the woman who stole his heart. They laughed and listened, and even cried at the part of the timeline when the Schmidt's father left his life. Cece was so moved by the photos and Schmidt's story that she held out her hand and he firmly grasped it, their hands clamping together like two magnets destined for each other by some force greater than gravity. Their hands didn't move from that position. It was unspoken between the former couple that maybe, just maybe, that's where their hands belonged the whole time.

Cece loved that Schmidt was showing this side of him, especially with their rocky past. Most people saw a self-built facade of the junior marketing executive, but it was that rocky past that allowed her to see beyond the kimono-wearing centaur-boot clad loftmate. He was so modern and tech-obsessed on the surface that no one would guess he actually printed out photographs and kept them... Cece's heart swelled with pride knowing that she was one of the very few who knew this side of him. Eventually the pictures transitioned to modern times, where people like Nick, Winston, Coach, and eventually Jess started to come around in photos.

There was one box of photos left. Schmidt breathed heavy, exhaling to finally let go of her hand and retrieve the final box. Cece wondered what was so nerve-wrecking about this box, she'd already seen his entire life story played out in picture format. The second he took out the first photo, she knew why.

It was him and her.


	2. Chapter 2

Him and Her - Chapter 2

 **A/N: Here's the second (and probably/possibly final) installment of Him and Her, hope you all enjoy it and please review!**

* * *

Schmidt and Cece, the couple that no one expected, was memorialized in over 100 photos in this box of Schmidt's. Cece's gulp matched Schmidt's and she wondered if he was going to tell her that there was no need to go through them or something. But he never spoke a word, and she didn't either. Every picture he flipped over caused a cycle. She dreaded seeing the pictures of what she no longer had, but at first glance of Schmidt's arms wrapped around her, she felt happier than she could have imagined, reliving the memories, but then feeling the void of those moments in the present.

Cece got especially choked up with the ones of him and her family. At least a dozen pictures featured him and her brother's daughter, Izzy, who absolutely adored Schmidt.

"Izzy." Schmidt smiled sweetly.

"She still calls you Uncle Spit, you know." Cece remembered fondly.

"Schmidt's not that hard to say, is it?" he replied with a laugh.

Photo after photo after photo of Schmidt kissing Cece on the cheek or Cece holding his hand lovingly, or the two of them scowling at a photo opp Jess was trying to capture. It was a brief insight into the intense love that they shared, the love that they only found for each other.

"What about this one." Schmidt laughed, holding up one of them sitting on the beach, staring up at Jess with squinted eyes.

"I remember that!" Cece said, "When we thought Nick had cancer."

"That was the first night we slept with each other." Schmidt said in a fun-fact manner.

"We slept _next_ to each other." she clarified.

"We started dating, what, just a few weeks after this." Schmidt thought out loud.

"Yeah after you _broke your penis having sex with my roommate._ " Cece reminisced.

"I broke my penis." Schmidt declared.

"And I agreed to go out with you after you broke your penis." Cece declared shortly after, shaking her head to herself with a small smile.

"We should've known, huh?" Schmidt laughed sarcastically, "We should have known that this wasn't gonna work out."

Cece's heart was breaking. Not just at the admission he made, but at the foreign, defeated tone of Schmidt's voice. She wasn't thinking, and on instinct her eyes looked at his and pleaded, _don't give up_. It hit her that for four years he didn't give up. He let her go because he thought that's what made her happy, but he never gave up. He smiled through her dating his exact opposite in Robby, but he never gave up. He even watched her get engaged to someone she didn't love and he didn't give up.

"You're the only one who has a box of pictures all to herself, and I can't even open it because it hurts too much." he ended with a bitter laugh, shoving the box to the side.

This was a different Schmidt. This suddenly all felt like a "thanks for the memories" type of affair. As he grabbed the lid to close "her box" it felt too symbolic in that moment, like a tidy and definitive bow tied over their messy four year relationship. She knew it must have been exhausting to keep up the hope for the past four years and she was too stubborn to notice. It was her turn now to convince him that it, that _they_ were worth fighting for.

"That's my favorite one." Cece motioned to a landscape shot of her entire family posed around a couch after Thanksgiving last year. His hands paused as her fingers pointed to the photo on top. Schmidt put the lid down to glance at it. Her grandmother took her matriarchal position in the center while Cece's mother and step-dad on the other side. Her brother, Louie sat in front of the couch, pseudo Indian-style with Izzy rolling around next to him. On the other arm was Rene with her new husband, Ajay stationed next to her with his hands in his pockets. Their little one, Maya, was being corralled on the floor by Ajay's kids,Tate and Nina. On the other arm of the couch was Schmidt and Cece stood proudly next to him, leaned in so that her arm could drape around his shoulder.

"This is gonna sound so weird, but I have that one hanging in my office." Schmidt sheepishly admitted, peering over her shoulder.

"Me too." Cece replied, still trying to overcome what he just said. Was there still hope?

"Yeah but they're at least _your_ family." he laughed, "I kind of clung onto them, you know. I know I play it off most of the time but, it's so hard to have no one over here. It's so hard that as soon as I was brought in front of a family... I unfairly adopted them, like they wanted me."

"They are your family." Cece assured him, "And I mean that 100%, Schmidt."

Schmidt nodded, and Cece, unconvinced that he was convinced, continued to talk, "I have never, ever, ever brought a guy to meet my family. But with you it is-was different."

"You just wanted to show me off, I get it." Schmidt joked, but gave Cece a genuine smile at the end to let her know just how much that meant to him.

"My mother, my sister, even my step-father loves you. Louie considers you a friend, and Izzy thinks you're just as much her uncle as I'm her aunt, same with Tate and Nina and little Maya. And I'm so sorry that when we broke up that was taken away from you."

"It's not your fault." Schmidt admitted, "We both did some really stupid things the past four years."

"It's been four years, can you believe that." Cece looked around in the room she'd spent many happy nights in, "That's such a long time, but at the same time, I feel like I've known you my entire life."

"Four years." Schmidt looked down, eyes fixated on the comforter. It was silent for a second and Schmidt gulped, eyes ready to look back up and meet hers, "I have been madly in love with Cece Parekh for four years."

Cece's eyes began to water, he still loved her. The life refilled in her eyes, she instinctively grabbed his hand, "Schmidt."

"They called me an idiot, they said 'you'll never get her', 'she's a model'. Then I did, somehow I got you to go out with me and eventually I got you to like me, who the heck knows how." Schmidt laughed, and Cece rubbed her thumb over his fingers. She listened to him, but knew everything he was saying. It shocked her how well she knew Schmidt, she cared enough about him to notice every little thing about him. He played a womanizing douchebag like a pro, but there was so so so much more under that tip of his iceberg. And her heart swelled with pride, because she was one of the only ones who got to see that hidden glacier under the surface.

Schmidt, meanwhile, continued while she studied his eyes like they were the only thing she could see, "I let you go because I was convinced you weren't happy with someone like me. I watched as you dated the exact opposite of me, and I stood there when you got engaged to some guy you didn't even know. And I hit the lottery and got you back and then did the stupidest thing in my entire life." he bowed his head at the mention of the Elizabeth love-triangle saga that strained their relationship to unrepairable threads. But he faced Cece again and his voice got so low and so serious that it scared her, "That's been the last four years of my life. Cece, I spent every single second in love with you. And the funny part is you've never even told me that you loved me but I'm still holding on to this."

Cece tried to compose herself and even let out a nervous laugh because she had no idea where to begin, "Schmidt" was the only thing she was able to get out. And then something changed. She smiled, because even in times of enormous intensity and stress, Schmidt was the only thing on her mind, the only one who could make things okay. Just saying his name made her heart swell. "Schmidt, I convinced myself my whole life that I never needed anyone and that I was gonna be a hot model forever. She took a breathe, "But the second I walked into the loft four years ago my life changed as soon as my eyes found you. I didn't want to go out every night and party, I wanted to lay on the couch and binge watch random TV shows with you. I didn't want to sleep in my deluxe queen bed alone, I wanted to close my eyes, every night, right next to you wherever the hell that was. You made me the happiest I've ever been, Schmidt. You. Y-o-u."

"I was too stubborn and ignorant most of the time to notice how you spent the last four years. But the last four years of my life, Schmidt, have been spent realizing that no one could ever make feel as happy or as loved, as safe, as frustrated, as cared for, as me….as you."

Schmidt looked up with tear-stained eyes, "What are you saying?"

"I love you, Schmidt. I have been in love with you for four years, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to stay insanely in love with you for the rest of my life."

Schmidt looked flabbergasted and Cece smiled at just how cute he was, struggling to comprehend that finally, finally they were on the same page and the woman who had booked the last four years of his life had finally said those three words to him.

"Say it again." he instructed.

"What? Schmidt I just…"

"Say it again." he repeated with a serious tone, but the most hopeful, excited look in his eyes.

"I love you, Schmidt."

"Again."

"I love you, Schmidt." Cece repeated rolling her eyes, "Do I have to keep doing this or are you gonna-"

Cece was cut off with Schmidt grabbing her and dragging her down on the couch in a dog-pile-esque hug. She shrieked and began to laugh as she looked into his eyes which spoke more words than he ever could say. Schmidt smiled, happier than ever, and leaned his forehead onto hers, which was face-up on the couch. "I love you, too, Cece."

That's all she needed to hear as they mutually crashed their lips on each other. Electricity raced through every square foot of the apartment and Cece knew without a doubt that Schmidt was the man, her man, forever.

In a moment of pure, uncontrollable bliss, Cece whispered, "Let's be together, forever this time, okay?"

Her eyes got dangerously wide after she realized her thoughts translated into words spoken to him. Schmidt didn't respond for a while and Cece was ready to wither up and die right there.

Suddenly the world's largest smile appeared on his face, "Honey, that's not nearly enough time, but I think I can squeeze it in."

"Thank god." Cece moaned, needing to kiss him again. She missed him way too much. And now, having put a down payment on "forever" she wasn't sure how this investment was going to pan out. But now wasn't the time to worry about all of that. As long as it was him and her, things were exactly the way they were meant to be.


	3. Chapter 3

Him and Her

Chapter 3

* * *

 **With the Schmece wedding coming up soon, I've been inspired to continue this story about literally nothing haha. Last chapter we saw Schmidt and Cece reunite. As we venture into this chapter, it's all about them getting up to speed with what they missed while they were apart. Hope you all enjoy!**

The next morning Cece woke up in the sun-soaked apartment of 4D. She turned over, happy to feel the warmth of being wrapped up in Schmidt's arms. It may have been 60 degrees out, but something about cuddling next to Schmidt all night brought a very welcomed Christmas spirit to the loft.

"Mhmmmm." Schmidt groaned from next to her, shifting back and forth.

Cece smiled and adjusted with him in his half-slumber. She turned and looked at her phone which read 9 am.

"Shit!" Cece cursed, quickly trying to wrangle herself out of the bed to get ready.

"Well Merry Christmas to you too." he grinned, eyes still shut.

"Babe, we have to get going or we're going to be late and I don't want my fam-"

"Right, yes, okay!" he joined in the merriness of the morning.

"You still need to pack, oh god."

"Well I didn't know I was coming on this trip until last night so…." he reasoned with her, throwing together a dufflebag.

Cece took a second to pause and looked at her adorable new, old boyfriend who was packing feverishly, "You're right, I'm sorry."

Schmidt walked over and wrapped his arms around her, "Luckily you have a Jewish stallion who will be your cool cucumber against the pressure of Christmas."

She laughed, he always knew how to make her feel better, "I don't know whether your new nickname should be stallion or cucumber but….thank you."

"You're welcome." he kissed her forehead, "Now can you zip up my bag for me, I have to pick the perfect Christmas sweater."

Ruffling her hand through his messy morning hair, "Anything for you, love."

He winked skeptically, "Did you just call me love?"

Rolling her eyes and ignoring him, Cece left the room, "You're such a cucumber."

"Love you too!"

* * *

Eventually the couple made it into Cece's sports car, which Schmidt was too excited to drive.

"Alrighty, San Diego here we come."

"Yes. The Parekh family awaits." Cece exhaled.

Schmidt and Cece were about a half hour into the four hour ride. They were having a great time, talking and laughing. It was nice, for both of them, to rekindle the deep and truthful friendship that they'd built up around their tumultuous romantic history.

"Favorite day of the week."

"Friday."

"Last movie you went to see."

"Fault in Our Stars."

Schmidt made a face, "Ew really?"

"Buster wanted to see it."

Schmidt cringed at the mention of her ex, "Lame."

"Yeah it was lame." she replied, giving no more mention of her previous fling, to Schmidt's delight.

"Okay, favorite TV show?"

"Lost."

"I knew that." Schmidt fist pumped.

"Only because your favorite TV show is Lost."

"Well duh, it has everything. Action, adventure, mystery, romance…"

"Remember when we would watch it for hours." Cece reminisced.

"Of course! We averaged like four episodes a night and would pass out on the couch at like midnight."

She laughed at the memory, "It was just like an emotional roller coaster. Sometimes I'd wake up sad, happy, excited, scared...like the show was _that good,_ babe."

"Remember that time you woke up in the middle of the night three times petrified that Ethan Rom was gonna abduct you?" he laughed.

"Okay, honestly tell me that he didn't freak you out." Cece tried to defend herself.

"Fine, fine, he was a creep. You're lucky you had me to protect you."

Cece affectionately rubbed his shoulder, "I was so lucky."

"Guilty pleasure?"

"Don't laugh." he warned her as he was about to divulge his secret.

She laughed anyway, "Please, Schmidt, I know you."

Schmidt rolled his eyes, knowing that she meant there was nothing she didn't know that could make her think he was any more ridiculous.

"Okay, I am addicted to the show 'Married at First Sight'"

Cece stared at him, "You're kidding."

"Cece, you don't understand. These people literally meet at the altar. And then they follow them for a week honeymoon and four weeks of life together. They have to try to fall in love _after_ they're already legally wed. I can't stop watching."

"That's insane."

"Well yeah!" he explained, "Love makes you do insane things."

"Would you do that?"

"What, get married at first sight?" he clarified.

Cece nodded.

"It depends." Schmidt simply responded.

"On what exactly?" she was curious.

Avoiding her question he countered, "Would you do it?"

Cece took a second, "Before or after I met you?"

"What's that matter?" Schmidt was intrigued.

Cece laughed "There's no one else I can imagine marrying other than you, let alone at first sight."

Schmidt just started staring at her.

She nervously stared back, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

After making a quick effort to glance at the road, Schmidt let a small smile escape from his face, "You want to marry me?"

She bit her lip, "I'm not answering that."

Biting his lip right back, he gripped the wheel, "Cause I'd marry you right now."

Cece rolled her eyes, "Wow, what what a romantic proposal."

"You want a romantic proposal?" he smiled, "See, I wouldn't take you for that kind of person…"

"Well, I don't want you to move the stars to spell out 'Cece, will you marry me?' but…"

"Oh, so you do want to marry me?" he picked apart her words, able to sense her sarcastic eye roll.

"God, you're so annoying."

"Don't worry, honey, you're gonna get the perfect proposal." he concluded, picking up her hand and kissing it.

"Yeah, whoever this guy is, he better pull out all the stops." she couldn't help but pick on him.

Shaking his head ever so slightly, Cece smiled at Schmidt's acceptance of her burn. She loved this playful banter they had. It was one thing she never accomplished with anyone else in her life, and with him it was so effortless. She was playing it cool on the outside, but on the inside she was freaking out. Schmidt, the man of her dreams, basically just let it slip that he was planning on spending the rest of his life with her.

That was the best Christmas present she could have ever received.

Eventually they made it to the hotel, The Parekh, that they were staying in for the next few days. Cece learned a long time ago that it wasn't as magical to stay at your family's house as Christmas movies made it seem. It was much better, in fact, to stay at your family's hotel.

"My god it's gorgeous." he said, taking in the sites of the open, lofty San Diego hotel. He turned around, mouth open like a kid on Christmas.

"You are so excited!" She laughed.

"I can't believe your mother owns this place! It must have been five hundred dollars for a night here!"

Cece shrugged, "Perks of having family in the hospitality business."

They made it up to the front desk, "Hello, how can I help you?"

"Hello, I'm part of The Parekh family, Cecelia."

"Okay…." she said, reading the computer results, "I got a call from Madame Parekh this morning. You are reserved for a double bed room in our North suite. I'm just going to need a credit card to hold."

"You got it." Schmidt spoke up, pulling out his credit card.

"Thank you, sir." the woman swiped. After reading the cardholder's name she said, "Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Schmidt, enjoy your stay."

"Thanks." Cece smiled, peering up at her fake husband. If it wasn't the butterflies she got being called 'Mrs. Schmidt' it was definitely the fact that he was the sweetest person alive. After the conversation they had tip-toeing around the idea of marriage, Cece had to stop and think to herself how far she had come. Three years ago she would have cringed at the thought of putting a ring on her finger. But now she was incredibly happy, in love, and excited for her future. A future that involved Schmidt.

"Ready, Mrs. Schmidt?" he mocked her and she just laughed.

"Let's go before the divorce papers get here." she smiled mischievously. As much as she was joking, her eye caught Schmidt in a moment of pure seriousness. She remembered that look.

"Schmidty!" a voice called from across the vast lobby. Schmidt and Cece turned to see Louie, in all his long, tan, and handsome glory jogging their way.

The bros instantly collided for a bro hug. Cece smiled from the perimeter. Schmidt had been the only man (other than hand-picked Shivrang) who knew her family, and he absolutely loved them. That paled in comparisson, though, to how much they (minus Mrs. Parekh) loved him. Lou and Schmidt, especially, had formed a friendship that no one expected. It was a refreshing thing for Schmidt to have a bro outside the roommates he spent 24/7 with and equally refreshing for Louie to finally have a brother-in-law who was "cool".

"Man! I haven't seen you in forever!" Louie lamented.

"I know!" Schmidt smiled, "I've bee-"

"Cece tells me you've been working away pretty much non-stop, that's why you haven't been around."

Cece quickly turned away and Schmidt nodded, "Yeah, I've had tons of business on the East Coast, but obviously I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Where's Izzy?" Schmidt looked around for his favorite seven-year-old niece.

"With grandma and grandpap." Lou said, "Daddy needed to go to the bar and maybe find a date so he wouldn't be the only loser at Christmas without a date."

"And did you?" Cece gave him the eye.

"I got like five numbers." Louie smirked, "But come on, I'm not like you guys...I've never fallen in love or like been with someone for longer than a month. I had a daughter from a one night stand for God's sake."

"Hey, hey, Louie come on bro." Schmidt smacked his shoulder, "Obviously you didn't know me before Cece...I was a womanizing douchebag."

Lou crunched his eyes, "Huh? Reall-"

"Yes." Cece cut him off frankly.

"Hm.. I guess I kinda saw that." Louie said, "But when you're around my sister…."

"Cece is the love of my life, that changes you." Schmidt replied easily. But at the end of his sentence he dared to look over at Cece and their eyes locked.

Cece almost passed out. The weakness in her knees was the instant reaction, telling her that there was no other man in the world who would make her feel like this.

"Daddy!" a little girl said, running into Lou's legs.

"Hi there baby girl." Louie scooped her up. That lasted about 0.01 seconds until she realized who was standing there as well.

"Uncle Spit!" Izzy shrieked.

"Woah there!" Louie laughed, letting his daughter wrangle away to hug her estranged uncle. He looked at Cece who couldn't help but let a huge smile grow on her face.

"Well hello there." Schmidt cooed at his niece. As the niece-uncle combo caught up, Lou leaned over and whispered to his sister,

"She missed him a lot."

"I know." Cece smiled.

"It sucks that he's been away on business so often." Louie lamented, "But it's awesome that he still made time for the family."

"What?"

"Whenever Schmidt was with our grandmother at lunchtime, he would help her figure out skype, you know, and they would talk to us over in San Diego."

Cece was extremely confused, she tried to say something but Lou stared on at his daughter and continued, "Yeah, and whenever he was in San Diego he would always come visit us, and of course he'd have a doll or something for Iz but honestly, he could have walked in with a man-eating shark and she would have been excited that her Uncle Spit was here."

"Wait, so he visited you guys?"

"Yeah, I mean I guess he always said not to tell you.

He was probably worried that you'd think he was being too invasive in the family or something,

but I gotta tell you, Ce, as your big brother, don't let go of this guy."

Cece stared at her new old boyfriend and the degree to which her happy and confused and perplexed and amazed all at the same time was something only Schmidt could do.

"Izzy, let Schmidt go, come on." Louie finally intervened, giving Cece some momentary space.

"I'll see you at dinner tonight, kiddo, and you can tell me all about Frozen again, okay?" Schmidt laughed.

"Awesome, now to find Grandma and Grandpa, they just let you run free, huh?" Louie laughed, waving to the couple as he and his daughter walked away.

Once the 'couple got to the hotel room, Schmidt was still going on about his niece.

"She's the greatest." Schmidt smiled at Cece.

"You visited my brother. You went to see our grandmother every other week, you skyped my niece…" Cece immediately said, slowly.

"Cece...I…" Schmidt gasped with the growing realization that she'd uncovered his secret for the dark time when they weren't dating.

"Why?" She begged. At this point in time, Schmidt couldn't tell if she was pissed or confused, so he just apologized profusely.

"I'm sorry, Cece. Okay yes, I visited Louie and Izzy like twice in the year we were broken up and I visited your grandma in the retirement home…"

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't want you to think that I was trying to impress you. It was bad enough I screwed up with us so bad and I couldn't have you. I just couldn't lose your family too cause they mean a lot to me. My family's been far away for so long, you know, and I don't know..I'm sorry I clung onto yours."

Expecting a slap in the face or a screaming rampage, Schmidt did not anticipate what happened next.

She closed the five steps in between them in front of their bed, instantly wrapping her arms around him. He instinctively hugged back, matching the force with which she clung onto him, "There's a reason why I never told any of them that we broke up." she whispered into his chest where her head rested.

"Why." he whispered back.

Cece came up to face Schmidt's eyes, "Because I never stopped loving you."

It took 0.01 seconds for the words to hit him. And instead of an annoying, cocky remark, Schmidt gently cupped her face in one of his hands, leaned the foreheads together and smiled, "Aw, honey I love you too."

Cece was finally able to release her breath and relief and happiness overcame her.

"Why is this so awkward, it's like we're teenagers on a first date." Schmidt laughed back.

Suddenly a smile grew over Cece's face.

"Hu-"

Cece plunged her lips on his face. Suddenly that was it, electricity zapped through the air and suddenly that was it. The intensity, the passion, the love.

"I've missed you." Schmidt breathed.

"I've missed you too." Cece said, and her tears starting to reveal as her smile grew.


End file.
